A Spanish woman on a student exchange program in Taiwan died after being gored by an elephant while on vacation in Thailand, it was reported today, January 6.
22-year-old Blanca Ojanguren Garcia died after being attacked by an elephant at the Koh Yao Elephant Care Center in Phang Nga province, on January 3, according to Channel News Asia.
Garcia was a student of law and international relations at the University of Navarra, and was currently on a six-month exchange program with Taiwan’s Tamkang University. Garcia was vacationing in Thailand with her boyfriend at the time of the incident.
The Bangkok Post reported that there are currently about 220 elephant-themed parks in Thailand, with about 4,000 elephants in captivity. Thailand attracted more than 38 million tourists in 2019 alone, many of whom came for “elephant sightseeing”.
Spanish media outlet El Mundo reported that 18 people were present at the time of the incident, including Blanca’s boyfriend. Although no one else was injured in the accident, the reserve has announced a temporary suspension due to this unfortunate accident.
Tamkang University said they are assisting with insurance and other matters, and will provide counseling for other students who may be affected by the incident.
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